"Nobody But Us" Russians Against Putin

I just saw this great video on the New York Times' The Lede blog. It looks like Vladimir Putin has some vocal opposition to his plans for re-investiture as Russia's Prime Minister on March 4th.

A video of a musical group, apparently featuring former Russian paratroopers, performing a song with lyrics sharply critical of Prime Minister Vladimir V. Putin, quickly became an Internet sensation after it was posted to YouTube on Thursday. By Friday evening, the band had performed the song on a private television channel, TV Dozhd (Russian for TV Rain).

The video had been viewed over 120,000 times by Friday night. Posted under the title “Putin and Paratroopers,” the song portrays Mr. Putin as nothing more than a corrupt bureaucrat who has “destroyed the armed forces” along the way. It pits the prime minister — who claimed in December that he thought the white ribbon, the symbol for the protest movement, was a condom — against the common man.

You’re no different from me.
A man and not God.
I’m no different from you.
A man, not some hick.


We won’t let you keep lying, we won’t let you keep stealing
We’re liberated troops who defended the motherland
Ribbons of freedom are positive for all, but for you…
[they're] nothing – just condoms.

I love the gusty guttural sound of the Russian language! It sounds fantastic when shouted, I think.

The banners in the background of the video are displaying versions of the post-Soviet era Russian Army Airborne Troops badge.

"Россия" = Russia. "ВДВ" stands for "Воздушно-десантные войска" = Air-Landing Forces.

Their unit motto is "Nobody But Us," which is also the title of the song.